Indonesia ready to shelter Palestinians impacted by war in Gaza

JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia is ready to temporarily shelter Palestinians hit by the war in Gaza, President Prabowo Subianto said on Wednesday, estimating there could be 1,000 in the first wave, as he started a trip to the Middle East and Turkey.

Prabowo said he has instructed his foreign minister to quickly discuss with the Palestinian side and other parties about how to evacuate impacted Palestinians to Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country.

"We are ready to evacuate the wounded, the traumatized, the orphans," Prabowo said, adding the victims would be in Indonesia temporarily until they have fully recovered from their injuries and the situation in Gaza was safe for their return.

Jakarta has been advocating for a two-state solution and has sent humanitarian aid.

Israel's war in Gaza was triggered in October 2023, when Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people in southern Israel, and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign, Palestinian authorities have said.

Indonesia wants to increase its role in seeking a resolution to the conflict, Prabowo said, adding this plan is not easy.

"Indonesia's commitment in supporting the safety of Palestinians and their independence has pushed our government to act more actively," Prabowo said, as he was about to embark on an overseas trip which includes Turkey, Egypt and Qatar.

Prabowo's comment comes two months after Indonesia's foreign ministry said it "strongly rejects any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians" as U.S. President Donald Trump suggested permanently moving Palestinians out of Gaza.

Indonesia was willing to send peacekeeping troops to Gaza if needed, Prabowo said last year before he officially assumed the presidency.

(Reporting by Stefanno Sulaiman and Stanley Widianto; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Sonali Paul)